Not Always What It Seems
by Alex Parker
Summary: Hermione's feelings for Ron from her PoV, and Ron's
1. Default Chapter

Not Always What It Seems  
  
Disclaimer: As I bow to the goddess that is JK Rowling, I must remind you all that I am not her *sigh* so neither Ron, Hermione, nor Harry are mine. Unfortunately.  
  
The following is one girl's feelings for her boyfriend. First is Ron's PoV, and he's scared. Then it's Hermione's, and go figure - she's scared too. Read on - it's so sweet! My first attempt at fluff of this nature. 


	2. Ron's PoV

"Ron?" she asks. I look up, not wanting to meet her eyes, but finding it unavoidable. "Ron, we need to talk."  
  
I look into her eyes, the eyes I found solace in so many times before. When I was sad, or scared, or angry, her eyes could take all the emotion I felt and turn it into love, love for her. But her eyes are different now. Why? I dread the answer.  
  
She takes my hand and brings me outside, to a maple tree. I look up, realizing it's our maple tree. Not here, Hermione, not here! I long to run away, but my legs have lost all feeling. I know what's coming.  
  
"Ron, I." she can't even finish a sentence. There is a pause, silence. I sit down in the dirt. She sits next to me. It was here I first told her I liked her.  
  
"Ron, why are we here?" she had asked me. I looked into her eyes.  
  
"There's something I need to talk to you about." She had pierced my eyes with hers, not understanding the look in mine, or why my breathing was so shallow, or why I was standing so close.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I.I. I can't tell you."  
  
"Yes, you can. It's just me." Ah, but Hermione! If only you knew how 'just you' made me feel!  
  
"No, I can't." I sighed.  
  
"You can too."  
  
"I can not."  
  
"Can too."  
  
"Can not."  
  
"Can too!"  
  
"Can not!"  
  
"Can too!"  
  
"Can not!"  
  
"Can too!" She pushed me against the tree, unnaturally close to me, not even realizing it. "Ronald Weasley, if you don't tell me what you brought me here to say right now, I'll go straight up to the Owlry and send Hedwig to your mom telling her it wasn't Fred and George who bewitched all the suits of armor along Filch's hallway to make them say rude remarks to him, it was you!" I breathed in sharply. It wasn't a good idea. Her hair smelled of lavender. It was godly.  
  
"Hermione, have you ever felt butterflies in your stomach because someone was close to you? That one special person? Have you ever felt that your heart could jump right out of your chest because it's pounding so hard? Have you ever felt your feet leave the ground because you're close to the one you adore?" Hermione nodded, her eyes smiling. She nodded; good god, she nodded!  
  
I took a deep breath. "Hermione, right now. I'm flying." It was a simple comment, not really understandable, but she got it. Standing there, her hands firm on my chest, body pressing against mine, she smiled. I almost melted. And then - she kissed me! Right there, beneath that maple tree. I was in Heaven.  
  
Hermione takes a deep breath. "Ron, I've been thinking for a while now. Things between us are." she stops. Why did she stop? What does she want to say? Just say it, god damnit! Say you hate me; you can't see me anymore; tell me you love Harry, Seamus, Draco Malfoy even! Just say it and let me free!  
  
"I. I've wanted to tell you this for so long now." She's disgusted by the sight of me. I repulse her. She cringes when she sees me. Just say it, Hermione!  
  
"Ron, I love you." What?  
  
"What?"  
  
"I love you."  
  
No I-love-you-but-we-have-to-break-up? Nothing following? Just I-love- you? Am I dreaming?  
  
She's never said this before. Neither have I, now that I think about it. But still.  
  
"I though you were going to tell me you're running of to elope with Malfoy or something," I say quietly. Hermione laughs. I melt in the knees.  
  
"Elope with Malfoy? Ew! How could I, Ron? I love you." I just sit there, staring into her crisp eyes.  
  
"Well? Aren't you going to say anything back? Anything at all?"  
  
I stand up and grab her hands, pulling her up. Pushing her against our maple tree, my body merging with hers, my hands on her chest, I kiss her.  
  
"Hermione?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I love you too." 


	3. Hermione's PoV

There he is. I can do this. Really, I can. Harry helped me rehearse all day, and now he pats me on the back as I make my way toward Ron.  
  
"Ron?" His head rises ever so slightly. His eyes seem to be looking for something, anything else to look at. Finally, he meets my gaze. "Ron, we need to talk."  
  
He looks me straight in the eyes. His body starts to shake. Oh, my love, what's wrong?  
  
I take his hand and lead him outside to our maple tree, the place where I first kissed him. It was such a sweet day. I can still remember his exact words: "Hermione, right now. I'm flying." It was wonderful.  
  
"Ron, I." I stop, the lump in my throat getting bigger. This is a big deal. My eyes travel past him to the garden. The flowers are all dying. I remember that night, over Easter holidays, when Ron took me to that garden for the first time.  
  
"Ron, where are we going?" I asked. He just smiled, pulling me along even faster. Soon, I was jogging to keep up. It was dark, and I kept tripping over tree roots. I was working up a sweat, so was he.  
  
Finally, he stopped in front of our tree. I couldn't see the castle, Hagrid's cabin, or even the forest. We were completely alone. "Close your eyes," he requested. I did as he asked. I felt his gentle lips on my forehead, then he had my hand and was pulling me again, warning me to keep my eyes closed. I did.  
  
When we stopped, he walked around to stand behind me and put his hands on my shoulders. "Ok, open your eyes." I did.  
  
The most beautiful rose garden was before me. The moon was full, illuminating each and every petal. I turned to face him.  
  
"Ron, it's amazing."  
  
"It reminds me of you." I smiled and pulled him into a passionate kiss. When we parted, he whispered, "I could stay like this all night." I whispered back, "We have all night."  
  
I kissed him again, and I could almost hear the fireworks. His hands moved from my shoulders, down my back, to my hips slowly. I trembled.  
  
I tripped then, and fell backwards into the flowers. He fell too, on top of me. He didn't move.  
  
We made love for the first time, right there among the flowers, beneath the moon. It was magical.  
  
Ron slides down the trunk of the tree to sit on the ground. I follow, and take a deep breath. "Ron, I've been thinking for a while now. Things between us are." I stop. That's not how I want to put it. This is a delicate matter; I've never said this before, and I have to word it precisely.  
  
"I. I've wanted to tell you this for so long now." I shiver. His hand brushes mine for a split second, and I shiver. How I want to hold him in my arms. but I must say what I came to say.  
  
"Ron, I love you." He doesn't say anything. He doesn't even look at me.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I love you." I repeat it. He's just sitting there. Did I do something wrong?  
  
"I though you were going to tell me you're running of to elope with Malfoy or something," he says quietly. I laugh. Malfoy? Malfoy's nothing compared to my Ron.  
  
"Elope with Malfoy? Ew! How could I, Ron? I love you." He looks into my eyes. They seem to be smiling. Yes, that was the right thing to say, Hermione!  
  
"Well? Aren't you going to say anything back? Anything at all?" Maybe that wasn't. He stands up, and pulls me up with him. I know what he's going to do in an instant, but I let him. It's his turn.  
  
He pushes me against our maple tree. I can feel every curve of his body pressing hard against mine. It feels so nice, so natural. We fit together, like two puzzle pieces. As corny as that sounds. Before I can say anything, he kisses me. I hear the fireworks like that night in the garden.  
  
"Hermione?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I love you too." 


End file.
